BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
The Senate on Wednesday, approved N982.729 billion as supplementary budget for the 2021 fiscal year.
This represents an upward review of N86.9 billion from the initial amount of N895.842 billion transmitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari about two weeks ago.
The passage of the supplementary Appropriation Bill 2021, followed the consideration of a report by the Committee on Appropriation during plenary.
Out of the total amount of N982,729,695,343 billion passed, N123,332,174,164 billion is for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure; with N859,397,521,179 billion as contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure.
In his presentation, Chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Senator Barau Jibrin, explained that the sum of N45.63 billion required for the COVID-19 vaccine programme would be sourced through existing World Bank Loan as well as other grants.
He added that the balance of N37.93 billion would be sourced from Special Reserve/Levy Accounts, comprising TSA (foreign currency component) – N25 billion; MOFI CHQ optional – N5 billion; and Foreign Revenue E-Collection – N30 billion; 65 per cent Wheat Floor Levy – N15 billion; 5.15 per cent Wheat Grain Levy – N15 billion; and Rolled-Over Capital (unspent) – N5 billion.
The Senator revealed that the balance of N722.40 billion for capital expenditure on procurement of additional equipment for the security and capital supplementation would be sourced from new borrowing.
The lawmaker further explained that the Committee, in line with the harmonised position with its House of Representatives counterpart recommended an upward review of the funding of some Security Agencies that were grossly underfunded or not funded in the supplementary Appropriation Bill.
He listed the Agencies to include the Nigerian Navy, the Ministry of Police Affairs, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Department of State Security Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
A breakdown of Capital Expenditure for Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the supplementary budget shows that N8,500,000,000 was approved for the Ministry of Police Affairs; N22,586,121,511 for Police Formations and Command; N33,673,461,231 for the Defence Headquarters; N207,543,863,993 for the Nigerian Army; N157,780,421,836 – the Nigerian Navy; N239,477,882,473 – the Nigerian Air Force; N43,326,943,687 – the Defence Space Administration; and N16,887,229,426 – the Defence Intelligence Agency.
Others are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps – N14,822,575,648; the Office of the National Security Adviser – N17,000,000,000; the Department of State Services – N17,500,000,000; the National Intelligence Agency – N4,870,350,000; the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission – N3,500,000,000; and the National Agency for the Control of AIDS – N1,685,000,000.
Under the Federal Ministry of Health, N2,800,000.00 was approved for the procurement of Molecular Laboratory Equipment for Hospitals (N300m), National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi (N300m), National Eye Centre, Kaduna (N300m), National Fistula Centre, Abakaliki (N300m), National Fistula Hospital, Sokoto (N300m), Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Calabar (N300m), University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (N300m), Federal Medical Centre, Asaba Annex Aniocha (N300m) and FMC, Nguru (N400m).
In addition, N6,715,338,874 was approved for the Procurement and Installation of New Oxygen Plants Nationwide and Repairs of Oxygen Plants in FCT Hospitals; and N60,728,332,500 for Vaccines Procurement Cost (Federal Government of Nigeria Funding – $298,500,000 for 29.85 million Johnson & Johnson Vaccines.
